The city’s torn fabric could get a patch in the form of a new building on Michigan Avenue. McGuire Development Company is planning the building at Compass East, the former Sheehan Memorial Hospital located at Michigan Avenue and Clinton Street. It is kitty-corner to the Planing Mill and will help bridge the gap between downtown and the near east side.
The Buffalo News has the preliminary details:
Specifics haven’t been determined yet, but Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey Lehrbach said the developer has already “carved out” a preliminary footprint for the building, which would be directly on Michigan.
He said tentative plans envision a mix of office and retail space on the first floor, with multiple floors of rental apartments above that. The final uses and tenants, as well as the number of floors, haven’t been determined, and will depend on market demand, he said.
He said officials were not yet sure if the units would be market-rate or something else.
Time Warner Cable’s East Coast Business Class Services hub anchors the Compass East building with 50,000 sq.ft. of space. BAK USA occupies 10,000 sq.ft. of space on the top floor. University Pediatric Dentristry is located on the second floor and McGuire Group’s computer and medical training facility is located in the basement. The remainder of the building is multi-tenant office space along with two apartments on the second floor.
McGuire has quickly gained a strong foothold in the city. Besides the Compass East developments, McGuire is partnering with Mark Trammel to develop the Pilgrim Village complex at the edge of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus into a mix of residential and commercial space. The first phase of Campus Square, a six-story 152 unit apartment building that has gotten good reviews from BRO commenters, is expected to start this summer. Last year, McGuire was chosen as lead developer for the Buffalo IT Innovation and Commercialization Hub. IBM has committed to bring 500 new information technology jobs to the facility in the south tower of Key Center.
Get Connected: McGuire Development, 716.829.1900